Low profile gastrostomy devices are designed to be inserted through an opening in the wall of the abdomen and stomach of a patient for use in supplying nutrients and other fluids, including medication, into the stomach. Such devices can also be used for decompression, and provides access for examination endoscopically, for example, using fiber optics. Other uses requiring insertion of a tube into other viscera of the body may be made of the device, such as urinary bladder drainage, ileostomy, jejunostomy, and cystostomy.
Certain medical conditions require the long-term access for such purposes as internal feedings and/or medication to a person's stomach or other viscera of the body. This may be accomplished be inserting a tube through a surgical opening into the stomach or other viscera.
Problems with conventional gastrostomy tubes are common in both adults and children. These range from stomal irritation to more serious mishaps. Accidental removal and internal migration are also oftentimes encountered with conventional gastrostomy tubes.
Current non-balloon devices are inserted with an obturator rod that elongates it prior to insertion. Most of these must be held elongated manually by the end user. This makes it more difficult to manipulate the device during insertion, and more often the device is simply shoved through the stoma site. Additionally, current devices lack a method to aid in removal. They are simply traction removed, without reducing the cross-sectional area by any means prior to removal. The low profile gastrostomy feeding device of the present invention solves these issues by elongating and maintaining the device, which can then be inserted with careful manipulation using the thumb and forefinger into an existing stoma site. Removal is similar to insertion, as the device can be elongated blindly using a ratcheted scale corresponding to the size and length of the device that is in place.